Here is some factual data to help understand what is going on. For those that don't know what we're talking about, it may help. Normally when braking around a corner you start to drift. It has been found though, that if the brake duration is less than 0.01 seconds, then you do not drift. For example, pressing the keyboard brake key for 0.008 seconds will not cause a drift while braking around a corner at high speed.
To put this in perspective, if you are running the game at 100 fps, then 1 frame is 0.01 seconds. So, even if you press a key for only 1 frame, you still drift. If you run the game at around 120 fps then 1 frame amounts to around 0.0083 seconds, which is about what you need for this. Now, this trick is repeatable, and manageable
once or twice by veteran drivers. It's not easy, it's rather risky (to do even once), but it's possible with some practice.
For Cordanis' D15 run he does this over 30 times on the first lap. It's a 10 lap track which brings his total to around 300 times on a single track.
He does this 300 times, pretty much without fail, without drifting once. He managed to brake for 0.008 seconds, 300 times, without once breaking the 0.01 threshold.
What I submit, on the basis of common sense, that pressing a keyboard key for the duration 0f 0.008 seconds, 300 times in a row, without once going over the threshold of 0.01 seconds, is humanly impossible. This is only capable of being done with some type of 3rd party software. It simply does not get clearer than that d15 replay. I don't see how anyone at Nadeo could watch that d15 replay and not see what is going on. Best case scenario he is using a macro. Worst case scenario he is using a full on hack.
Furthermore, even though it's an assumption, I have no doubt that Nadeo never intended for Valley for to be driven in this manner. This isn't just some little bug or trick that has minimal impact on the game. It completely changes the way the game is being played, much in the same fashion as the driving backwards bug. It's horribly open to exploitation via the use of macro software which creates a completely unfair mechanism.
This player has been abusing this for well over a year now, showing no remorse or penchant for stopping. Rather he accuses others of cheating that have been part of this community for 7+ years, even some that have proven themselves at lan. This is his way of rationalizing his own cheating, i.e. "Others cheat because I'm not as good as them, so therefore I will cheat". It ruins the landscape of fairplay for us legitimate drivers.
I'm ont sure that the d15 replay would qualify as circumstantial evidence. Rather it leans towards direct evidence. It's basically a smoking gun that is available for everyone to see.
http://tm.mania-exchange.com/replays/download/183757
Now, bear in mind, people have been convicted of murder, served 20 years, and then new evidence is produced which proves them innocent. I only say this because we don't actually have direct video of him cheating, we don't have his computer in front of us to see.
However, If I were accused of cheating by long time members of the community, I would put up a livestream and prove otherwise. I would show every program on my computer and repeat any run I've previously done that I was asked to. OBS is free and even my 5 year old computer is capable of a 480p 30fps stream. Or I would use my phone to record myself play, showing the legitimacy of the run, and upload it to youtube. Point being, that if he wants to prove he is just some freek of nature that is capable of something noone else can even remotely come close to, then it would be quite easy to do so.
I'd hazard a guess that this will never happen though. Subsequently, I think there is no choice but to delete his records and ban the account from participating.
